Choo Mee-ae: "Emergency Martial Law Was an Event That Heightened Vigilance…Illegal Orders Must Be Rejected"

Ahead of the Eulji Exercise beginning on the 18th, Gyeonggi Province convened with participating training agencies to discuss cooperation measures. Governor Choo Mee-ae emphasized the importance of security in Gyeonggi Province and organic cooperation among various agencies including the military, police, fire department, and local government.

On the 12th, Gyeonggi Province held its 2026 Integrated Defense Council at the Yulgok Hall of Gwanggyo Government Complex, with Governor Choo Mee-ae and representatives of major organizations in attendance.

Governor Choo stated in her remarks that "Gyeonggi Province is a border region adjacent to North Korea and is home to the largest population in the Republic of Korea," and "the safety of Gyeonggi Province is directly linked to the safety of the metropolitan area and the entire nation of Korea. Protecting Gyeonggi Province is protecting the Republic of Korea," explaining the importance of security in Gyeonggi Province.

Governor Choo continued, "Today's threats are not limited to traditional military threats. Drones, cyber attacks, terrorism, paralysis of national infrastructure, and complex threats that cross the boundary between military and non-military have become routine security issues," emphasizing that "in times of such crisis, no single institution can respond with its capabilities alone. The military, police, fire department, and local government must move as one system."

Governor Choo also referenced the emergency martial law declaration crisis that occurred on December 3, 2024, stating: "We cannot forget that day. The emergency martial law is an event that heightened vigilance by reminding us how important the roles and responsibilities of national institutions are and how precious it is to properly maintain our respective positions." She then emphasized: "In moments of crisis, the chain of command must be firm, each person must fulfill their duty well, must know how to reject illegal orders, and must make swift and responsible decisions and take action in accordance with legitimate orders."

The Integrated Defense Council is a meeting in which related agencies—including civilian, government, military, police, and fire departments—cooperate to establish and implement integrated defense measures in preparation for enemy infiltration, provocation, or threats. It is divided into regular and ad-hoc sessions, with regular sessions held quarterly. Today's meeting was conducted as a practical exercise to examine whether Gyeonggi Province's integrated defense posture is actually functioning ahead of the Eulji Exercise.

The 2026 Eulji Exercise is scheduled to take place from the 18th to the 21st for three nights and four days. During the training period, Gyeonggi Province plans to operate a "comprehensive wartime situation room" within the provincial government's facilities to support situation reporting and integrated defense operations.